Unknown projectile hits ship near the Strait of Hormuz

SadaNews - On Thursday, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority reported that a cargo ship was hit by an unknown projectile on its starboard side, 7.5 nautical miles southeast of an area in Oman, resulting in damage to the bridge without any injuries or environmental contamination.

The authority added that the ship's captain reported no injuries or environmental impact, noting that the authorities are investigating the incident and urging vessels to exercise caution while transiting and report any suspicious activity.

This incident comes at a time when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned on Thursday that ships must comply with the navigation routes designated by Tehran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting recently announced maritime routes without coordination with Iran, describing them as "unacceptable and dangerous."

Iran practically controlled this vital corridor during the war, leading to disruptions in oil flows and causing turmoil in global energy markets and the broader economy. Despite the return of traffic, Tehran stated it would continue to exert control over the strait.

The Iranian warning followed Oman’s announcement of temporary navigation routes through the strait, coordinated with the United Nations' International Maritime Organization.

Data released by the organization on Thursday indicated that about 57 ships carrying approximately 1,100 sailors have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since June 23, as part of an evacuation plan launched by the United Nations this week.

The organization stated that these figures are the first regarding the initiative, which aims to assist hundreds of ships carrying around 11,000 sailors to leave the strait. According to the data, 13 ships crossed the strait on June 23, 32 ships yesterday, and 12 ships on Thursday morning.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a speech in Bahrain that the United States will not allow Iran to impose fees on ships passing through the strait, which used to see approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the war.

Rubio told the foreign ministers of Gulf countries: "The truth is that no nation on earth has the right to impose fees on the use of international waterways. That will never be an acceptable condition in any agreement."

Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, the Foreign Minister of Oman, located across from Iran at the strait, mentioned during the meeting that future navigation arrangements should not include transit fees.

In parallel with diplomatic moves, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) released a video showing F-35 fighters taking off and landing aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, the flagship of the Tripoli Amphibious Group and the U.S. Marine Corps' 31st Unit, confirming that U.S. sailors and marines continue to conduct operations in the Arabian Sea.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated on Wednesday that navigation through the strait is nearing pre-war levels, which began on February 28, with at least 20 million barrels exiting the strait in the past 24 hours.

In a related development, the Danish shipping group Maersk reported on Thursday that the ship Maersk Baltimore and another vessel chartered by the company successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and exited the Gulf overnight.

Maersk mentioned in a statement that the crossing was undertaken "in close coordination with our security partners and after conducting thorough security assessments."

The American-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, disrupted transportation and shipping in the Middle East, preventing many ships, including those belonging to Maersk and competing companies such as Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM, from entering or leaving the Gulf.

Maersk clarified that it will seek to move one of its three ships that are still in the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz later, while the other two ships will be utilized for marine transport services within the Gulf.

The company stated that 44,000 containers out of 47,000 heading to the Gulf region were delivered when the war broke out, while three thousand containers are still awaiting final delivery.